Jianning Yellow Pear

Jianning Yellow Pear

Jianning Yellow Pear is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Jianning Yellow Pear is a premium variety among early-ripening pears. Nowadays, during the summer when the pears ripen, hundreds of vehicles of all sizes transport Jianning Yellow Pears to large and medium-sized cities in Fujian, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and other provinces every day, with an annual output of about 70,000 tons.

　　The Yellow Pear industry rose to prominence in the mid-to-late 1980s. According to statistics, in 1977, the county had only 1,454 acres of fruit trees, producing about 3,890 kilograms. Since the reform and opening-up, Jianning County has leveraged its advantages in mountainous terrain and climate, inviting experts four times in a row to evaluate 16 trial varieties originally introduced from Zhejiang Agricultural University, Hangzhou Qianjiang Orchard, and other sources—including Huanghua, Hangqing, New Century, Nikko White, Wansanshi, and Jushui. Ultimately, five superior varieties—Huanghua, Hangqing, and New Century—were selected for cultivation in Jianning. With white flesh, fine and crisp texture, juicy sweetness, and top-tier quality, the Yellow Pear has won the favor of consumers across the province and beyond, earning recognition as a premium early-ripening pear of southern China.

　　To encourage the development of the Yellow Pear industry, Jianning County has implemented a series of preferential policies in areas such as funding loans, seedling support, and mountain land approvals. These measures have continuously expanded the planting base, creating favorable conditions for industrialization. The county has developed a fruit layout dominated by Yellow Pears, supplemented by kiwifruit, and complemented by other fruit varieties. Both Yellow Pears and kiwifruit rank first in the province in terms of both area and production. Particularly for Yellow Pears, Jianning has become the largest production base south of the Yangtze River in China. In 2000, Jianning was awarded the title of "China’s Hometown of Yellow Pear" by the National Forestry Administration. In 2005, Jianning County received the title of "China’s Leading Pear Industry County." The pear industry has since become a pillar sector for increasing farmers’ income in Jianning. By 2008, the county’s fruit tree area reached 116,000 acres, with an annual fresh fruit output of 72,000 tons and an output value of 154 million yuan.

　　To transition Jianning’s fruit industry from resource-dependent to knowledge-driven, the county established research institutions such as the Fruit Tree Research Institute, a Kiwifruit Experimental Station, and the Gaozhen Fruit Tree Demonstration Farm. It also formed collaborations with higher education institutions, research bodies, and extension agencies—including Zhejiang Agricultural University, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou Fruit Tree Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences’ Fruit Tree Research Institute, and the Provincial Department of Agriculture—to tackle key projects. These included "Breeding New Varieties of High-Quality Early-Ripening Pears," "Research and Promotion of Grafting Pollen-Bearing Branches on Yellow Pears," "Pear Harvest Period Adjustment Techniques," and "Comprehensive Standardization Demonstration Zone for Yellow Pears." These efforts were successfully demonstrated and promoted in production, yielding significant results. Among them, the Yellow Pear variety promotion project won the Second Prize for Science and Technology Extension from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries; the high-grafting pollen-bearing branch technique for Yellow Pears received the Third Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress from the Ministry of Agriculture. The "Yellow Pear Standard Composite System" was approved and implemented by the Fujian Provincial Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision, filling a gap in the province’s standard-setting efforts.

　　To alleviate the pressure of concentrated Yellow Pear market availability, the county adjusted its planting structure. Based on climate, resource, and market analyses, the strategy of "adjusting for earliness and quality" was adopted. This involved high-grafting to replace varieties, reducing the area of "Huanghua" pears, and expanding the cultivation of premium early-ripening varieties like "Cuiguan" and "Qingxiang." Leveraging the county’s "Yellow Pear Standard Composite System," cultivation techniques were standardized comprehensively. High standards and quality were applied to develop early-ripening pear bases, primarily featuring "Cuiguan." Currently, the cumulative planted area of "Cuiguan" exceeds 45,000 acres, accounting for over 40% of the total. "Cuiguan" pears offer the advantages of early market availability (around June 25) and strong pricing (wholesale prices reaching 3–3.6 yuan per kilogram), boosting fruit farmers’ incomes.

　　To meet consumer demands for fruit safety and quality, the county built a development model of "Standards + Base + Farmers" through organizations such as the Yellow Pear Professional Cooperative and Fruit Tree Demonstration Farms, focusing on implementing standards and building brands. In 2002, Jianning Yellow Pear was awarded the title of "Provincial Famous Brand Agricultural Product" by the Fujian Provincial Government. The county established 21,000 acres of pollution-free or green Yellow Pear production bases. Through brand demonstration, improved pear quality, and the development of premium fruits, Yellow Pears not only achieved the goal of "winning by season and volume" to solidify non-producing markets in major southeastern coastal cities but also "won by quality" to penetrate producing markets in Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, and others.

　　The production area of Jianning Yellow Pear covers the entire administrative region of Jianning County, Fujian Province.

　　Source: Jianning News Center